IBERIA — Danville got caught in a perfect storm Friday night.
Northmor All-Ohioan Jax Wenger returned from a three-week hiatus after an appendectomy and the Golden Knights rode the wave of emotion to a 41-6 Knox Morrow Athletic Conference win.
Danville takes the field before the start of a Knox Morrow Athletic Conference game at Northmor earlier this year. 
Danville quarterback Jacob Hackman throws a pass against Northmor earlier in the season. 
Danville’s Ashton Spaulding tries to avoid Northmor’s Carson Campbell during a Knox Morrow Athletic Conference game earlier this season. 
Danville running back Aidan Burke braces for contact as Northmor’s Carson Campbell approaches during last week’s Knox Morrow Athletic Conference game at Northmor. 
A rangy 6-foot-2 senior receiver, Wenger caught four passes for 90 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Knights (5-0, 2-0) beat the Blue Devils (3-2, 1-1) for the first time since 2021.
“It felt good to be back out there,” said Wenger, who has been sidelined since catching a pair of passes in Week 1 and was only cleared to play Thursday. “It was the biggest relief in the world.
“I had my hopes up … that I would play today and it worked out well.”
The Knights scored on their opening possession when All-Ohio quarterback A.J. Bower hooked up with Bo Landin on a 43-yard scoring strike. Northmor extended its advantage to 13-0 when Cowin Becker hauled in a swing pass from Bower and went 25 yards for a score with 2:09 to play in the opening quarter.
Wenger got into the act early in the second quarter after Northmor forced a Danville punt and took possession at its own 34-yard line. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Bower lofted a ball for Wenger, who outjumped a Danville defender and went 66 yards for the score to make it 20-0 with 11:06 to play before halftime.
Northmor extended the margin to 27-0 when Becker made an athletic catch and outran the defense for a 63-yard touchdown on third-and-18 with 8:56 showing in the first half. Wenger’s second TD reception, a 7-yarder, came just eight seconds before halftime.
“They made plays and we didn’t. They are a great team and, at the end of the day, that’s what it was,” Danville coach Matt Blum said. “We’re not usually on this side of a game like this. I told our guys we can either hang our heads or we can learn from it and grow.
“I know what we’ll do. We’ll take the lesson from it and turn the page.”
(These photos were contributed by Billie Jo Addair)
Danville finally got on the board when quarterback Jacob Hackman scored on a 20-yard run late in the third quarter. Northmor responded when Becker tacked on a 41-yard run less than a minute later to make it 41-6.
“We’ve got athletes and we like to get them in space,” Northmor coach Scott Armrose said. “I was really proud of our guys and everything they have done to get to this point.”
The loss was the worst for Danville since 2020.
“Our kids don’t like losing and they’re not used to losing, especially like this,” Blum said. “We’ve got to be better and that starts with me. We’ve just got to get back to the basics starting Monday and get back to doing the little things right.
“I have no doubt that we’ll do that.”